the future of living is here & its communal
renting an apartment as an expat or digital nomad in different countries can be difficult even when you speak the language. it's not that easy to find a place that lives up to the standards & quality that you want, the fact you won't have a rental history or credit rating in your new country can hamper your efforts. step in domeq. a co-living apartment building located just a few mins south of brno, czech republic.
i have been traveling for years now staying in hotels, hostels & co-living spaces but this is the first time that i have stayed in a co-living space long term. if you're not sure what a co-living space is then here is the basic concept; a place where you have your own space be it a room or apartment (as in domeq's case) but have the benefits of all bills, (yes even wifi) is included in your monthly rent. it's just one easy payment per month. the other benefits are that co-living spaces such as domeq can offer month-to-month contracts so if you are only staying in brno for a few months you don't have to sign long term contacts like in most cases for apartments. as the name suggests co-living also gives you the advantages of a communal living space. in domeq case we have a communal living space that includes a pool table, multiple connected tv's with netflix, a cinema display for the big screen movies when we want to watch with friends, even a huge communal professional kitchen for the times when we cook together.
apartment types
there are many different options & configurations of the apartments in domeq. i personally have the two-bedroom apartment on the fifth floor with views towards the airport, its perfect as i am a trainee pilot so i can check the weather before i go just by peering out my window.
you will also find single apartments, duel single apartments & double bed apartments too all with large windows. the building only opened in november 2017 therefore all the apartments are brand new it's a great feeling to move into a place that no-one has ever lived in before. each apartment comes with all the amenities you would expect from an apartment such as bathroom, kitchen & desk space for the times when you need to work or study from home. another great feature of the domeq is that all the apartments are fully furnished so no need to buy an furniture, they also offer monthly rentals of culterly & appliances so if you staying for the short term its more economical to rent.
how does the communal aspect work?...
well, just think of each apartment as not having a living room. your living room is the communal area in the lobby on the ground floor that has super comfortable places to sit, tv's & even a pool table. this area is super cozy & over the time that i have been here i have made some great friends as most evening we meet up downstairs to watch tv, chat, even do our homework but the wonderful thing is that there is always someone around to chat to. if you are worried about security then this is the place for you, they have 24h reception & keycard access to the building so its super secure. this is the place to come if you are living alone or as a couple but want the benefit of meeting others if you wish. for the days that you do not want meet people, its easy just stay in your apartment.
location location location....
domeq is located just south of the old city center in a technology park about 4 mins ride on the tram from the central train station. a 1 min walk gets you to a lidl supermarket, 5 min walk to vakovka shopping centre, 10 min bus ride to ikea. if you are heading to the airport the bus route passes by the main road. the central long distance bus station is only 5 mins away, i really could not think of a better location as you have everything you need on your doorstep.
how much does it cost?
well, for a two-bed single occupancy apartment you are looking at 12,500 (€500) per month but this includes all bills there are no add-on's unless you want to take a cleaning service & a few other services that they can provide. remember that domeq is on a month-to-month basis so no need for those long contracts.
sum up....
i have been living here for a little while now and i can honestly say that i have had an awesome time. i have made life-long friends, learned to play pool very well & became a better chef using the communal kitchen. overall, it's a super positive experience, i truly believe that this is the future of living. everyone can benefit from the co-living lifestyle....
so by now i hope your thinking how do i get a place here?
domeq rentals are run by foreigners in brno. this is the premier rental & expat service provider in czech. to come & see one of the apartment fill in this form & a rental agent will get in contact with you. make sure to mention that you seen my blog post.
money
- czech koruna. the city is very inexpensive compared with northern europe.
- if your a european citizen and you travel often see my blog post on the curve card its the best travel card around i have saved hundreds of euro's using it. download the app and enter my promo code to get a free card & €/£5. click here to see the post.
country travel tips
atm: any is fine most are free in the city. i would recommend equal bank for foreigners.
sim card: vodafone has the best coverage in the area. but can be expensive for data.
transport: a 3 months all access central city transport pass costs around €50